Human Rights

Where do our human rights come from?

In some societies, human rights may be enshrined in law and legislation, whereas in others they may simply exist as guidelines that reflect the values of that particular community.

What role does the United Nations play? The United Nations (UN) was formed after World War II on 24 October 1945 by countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and security. Today, nearly every nation (currently 193 countries) in the world belongs to the UN. One of the main aims of the UN Charter is to promote respect for human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1948, sets out basic rights.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The first specific global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. • the right to life, liberty and nationality • the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion • the right to work and to be educated • the right to food and housing • the right to take part in government.

International Bill of Human Rights The informal name given to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

What about Australia? Australia has agreed to be bound by these major international human rights treaties BUT they do not form part of Australia’s domestic law unless they have been specifically written into Australian law through legislation. The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national organisation that advocates for promotion and protection of human rights.

The Australian Human Rights Commission Definitions include: • recognition and respect of people’s dignity • moral and legal guidelines that promote and protect a recognition of our values • ability to ensure an adequate standard of living •standards by which we identify and measure inequality and fairness • those rights associated with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Convention on the Rights of the Child (the CRC) - 1989 • the right to life • the right to a name and a nationality • the right to live with their parents • the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion • the right to privacy • protection from abuse and neglect • the right to education • the right to participate in leisure, recreation and cultural activities • protection from economic exploitation • protection from or prevention of abduction, sale or trafficking.

Children and Work…? Recent figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that: • globally, 1 in 10 children work (168 million children between the ages of 5 and 17) • 85 million children work in hazardous conditions • the highest number of child labourers are in the Asia–Pacific region (78 million children) • the highest proportion of child labourers is in sub-Saharan Africa, where 27 per cent of children (59 million) work.

In many countries, poor girls are put to work as domestic servants for richer families. In many places, children (especially girls) perform unpaid work for their families. In all cases, children are exploited, and in many cases, they are excluded from attending school (denying them their right to education).

Children in war… Approximately 300 000 children are believed to be combatants in conflicts worldwide.